Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko could be facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering another injury setback, with the club considering surgery to resolve the ongoing problem.
The 23-year-old Slovenian is dealing with a shin issue and has suffered a fresh setback just weeks after returning from nearly four months out with a similar complaint. United are weighing up whether to send the £73million forward for surgery, although club medical staff are still deliberating over the best course of treatment.
Ongoing shin problem
Sesko had been battling a shin complaint during the closing stages of last season, missing the March international break as he played through the discomfort before aggravating the problem against Liverpool at the start of May.
He was absent throughout the entire pre-season and only returned on the opening day of the campaign, having been ruled out for three-and-a-half months. He has featured in matches against Sabah in the Champions League and Brighton in the Carabao Cup, but experienced fresh discomfort in his shin following the latter game and now faces another period on the treatment table, according to the Manchester Evening News.
Carrick's update
Head coach Michael Carrick confirmed the setback, saying: "It's not the exact issue, it's a similar area, but it's not the exact same thing again. And we're kind of still working through it a little bit to see how long the issue will be. We're hoping that it'll be soon, obviously, but at this moment it's still not quite clear."
When asked whether surgery might be an option, Carrick responded: "Yeah, there's different things to look at. I think he recovered really well actually from the initial one, and there was a lot of time, and sometimes things get thrown up, the body does certain things and we've got to react to that and try and get him back as quick as we can."
Baleba close to debut
Sesko will miss the Tottenham encounter, but £70million midfielder Carlos Baleba could be in line for his debut. He was named among the substitutes against Fulham three weeks ago without getting on the pitch, but did manage some game time in a closed-door friendly against Lausanne-Sport just over a week ago.
"He's certainly getting closer, Carlos. It's been great to have him out on the grass and to see him up close really, and played a little bit in a training game that we had last week, so that was good for him to get some minutes," Carrick said.
"I think the other side of it, a little bit, he has missed a lot, and he's missed crucial time in terms of, you know, the end of pre-season, and there's a little bit of patience there for him to get up to speed. That's up to us to kind of pick that right time for him as well, but he offers us a lot. You know, I've said it before, the midfield that we've got we're really happy with, and the selections and the options that we have, and he definitely adds to that."
